Liner removal attachment for tape dispeners



March 13, 1962 J. H. CASEY 3,025,014

LINER REMOVAL ATTACHMENT FOR TAPE DISPENSERS Filed Jan. 51, 1955 UnitedStates Patent Ofilice 3,025,014 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,625,014 LINERREMGVAL ATTACHMENT FOR TAPE DliSPENERS James H. Casey, RosevilleTownship, Ramsey County,

Minn assignor to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul,Minn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 31, 1955, Ser. No. 4s4-s73 8Claims. (Cl. 242 e7.a

Normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape was originallycommercially available in forms wherein the coating of adhesive was ononly one side of the backing, the other side, or back side, beingnon-tacky. Forms of the tape are available however, wherein both sidesof the backing or carrier sheet are coated, such forms being frequentlyreferred to as double-coated pressuresensitive adhesive tape.

Double-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive tape has a variety of uses,one important use being to employ it as a substitute for a coating orlayer of ordinary glue, mucilage or paste where two articles are to beadhered to each other. Where two sheets of paper are to be adheredtogether in laminated form, for example, the doublecoated tape may beemployed by placing a cut length or a plurality of cut lengths of thetape on a surface of one of the sheets and then bringing the surface ofthe second sheet into contact with the exposed surface of the tape inthe desired position. The tape, being normally tacky on both sides, willadhere to both of the sheets of paper and hold them permanentlytogether.

Tape is customarily put up for use by the consumer in rolls. 'In orderto enable the present commercial forms of double-coated tape to beunwound easily, it is customary to insert a liner between theconvolutions of the tape when the tape is being wound into rolls by thetape manufacturer, the liner being a strip of sheet material of suchcharacter that it delam-inates easily from the adhesive coated surfacesof the tape when the roll is unwound. The liner is necessarily of thesame length as the tape in any given roll, and is ordinarily of no useto the consumer after being removed from the tape roll. Thus, in usingdouble-coated tape, the disposal of the liner is a problem.

An automatic removal and disposal of the liner is of course preferableto manual. Dispensers for liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tapewith automatic liner removal and disposal are shown in the Hoover UnitedStates Patent No. 2,325,400 issued July 27, 1943 and in the Polster,Aldrich and Berlin United States Patent No. 2,708,076 issued May 10,1955. The dispenser shown in the latter is a multi-roll dispenserwherein a liner-wound roll of doublecoated tape and a linerless roll ofsinglecoated tape are simultaneously available.

Such dispensers however, are relatively new and less in demand than thenumerous types of dispensers and dispensing mechanisms for theconventional single-coated tape that are being made and that have beenmade over a long period of years, and an objective of the presentinvention is to provide a simple and inexpensive attachment for existingdispensing assemblies of the conventional type whereby the latter may beconverted into dispensers for liner-wound double-coated tape withautomatic liner removal.

A further objective is the provision of a simple guide means for lateralretention of the liner take-up roll as it builds up, that will beadjustable to fit the different widths of tape that are dispensed atdilierent times.

These and other objectives are successfully achieved by the presentinvention which provides a conversion attachment characterized by ananchoring element for mounting the attachment on the tape dispensingassembly, a

liner take-up arm pivotally mounted on the anchoring element and a linertake-up drum mounted on the free end of the take-up arm.

The conversion attachment of the present invention is particularlysuitable for the desk or counter type tape dispenser that consistsessentially of a base having a tape roll cavity, a means for mounting atape roll, and a severing means spaced from the tape roll. An example ofone form of this class of dispensing assemblies is shown in the ReineckeUnited States Design Patent No. 169,989 issued July 7, 1953.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention is described belowand shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a previously known type of desk orcounter type dispenser;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIGURE 1 with aconversion attachment made according to the present invention, mountedthereon;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the converteddispenser of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation; and

FIGURES 5 and 6 show two forms, respectively, of the liner roll drum andguide plate assembly.

The conventional dispenser (without the liner removal attachment) shownin FIGURE 1, consists essentially of a base or body portion 10, a drum11 for holding a supply roll 12 of tape mounted for free rotation in theupper mid-portion of the base 10, a tape roll cavity or well 13 in thebase to accommodate the drum 11 and the tape roll 12, and a severingmeans 14 at the forward end of the base.

Referring now to the conversion attachment which is mounted on thedispenser, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, an anchoring means is hereshown in the form of a vertically disposed anchoring arm 20 at the rearof the dispenser base 10. The arm 20 is removably fixed to the base 10by a tongue 21 which extends downwardly into the tape roll cavity 13from the upper end of the arm, and by a lip 22 which extends forwardlyfrom the lower end of the arm along the under surface of the base 10 andinto engagement therewith. The arm is mounted by first inserting thetongue into the cavity and then positioning the lip.

A liner take-up arm 25 is pivotally mounted on the anchoring arm 20 bymeans of a normally horizontally disposed shaft 26 which is journaled inthe upper end of the arm 20, the lower end of the arm 25 being fixed tothe left end (FIGURE 4) of the shaft 26. A cylindrical torsion spring 27surrounds the shaft 26, the right end of the spring being fixed to theshaft, the left end bearing against the inner wall of the anchoring arm20. The spring is loaded to impel the liner take-up arm clockwise(FIGURE 3) toward the tape supply roll drum 11.

A liner take-up drum 30 is rotatably mounted on the upper or free end ofthe liner take-up arm 25 by means of an axle 31. The left end (FIGURE 4)of the axle is fixed in the arm 25. The drum 30 is journaled on theaxle. Axial movement of the drum 30 to the left is limited by the arm25, and to the right by a head 32 that is fixed on the axle.

The axis of the shaft 26 (the axis of oscillation of the liner take-uparm 25) and the axis of the liner take-up drum 36 are parallel; andthese in turn are parallel with the axis of the supply roll drum 11, andthe take-up drum 30 is aligned with the supply roll drum 11, when theanchoring arm 20 is in position on the dispenser.

Thus when a roll 12' of liner-wound double-coated tape 35 is mounted onthe supply roll drum 11, the spring 27 causes the liner take-up drum 30to bear against the tape roll 12 in peripheral contact therewith, sothat when the tape 35 is manually withdrawn from. the roll 12 toward theknife 14, the resulting rotation of the tape roll 12' in the directionof the arrow 36 causes the liner takeup drum 30 to rotate in thedirection of the arrow 37. When a fresh roll 12' of the liner-wounddouble-coated tape 35 is mounted in the dispenser and the leading end ofthe tape is manually drawn forwardly toward the knife 14, the leadingend of the liner is simultaneously manually withdrawn from between theconvolutions of tape on the roll 12 and trained around the liner take-updrum 30, so that as the drum 30 rotates, it takes up the liner and formsa roll 38 thereof. After the first convolution of the roll 38 has beenformed, it is the liner roll 38 that is in peripheral contact with thetape roll 12, as shown in FIGURE 3, and not the liner take-up drum 30.

The pressure of the liner take-up arm 25 against the tape supply roll 12through the drum 30 and liner roll 38, in response to the spring 27,exerts an upward pull on the anchoring arm 20, thereby holding the lip22 in a more secure engagement with the under surface of the base 10.

An important feature of the invention is the liner roll guide plates 40,the construction of the liner take-up drum 30 and the relationshipbetween the plates and the drum.

The convolutions of the liner roll 38 are susceptible to lateralslippage and movement relative to one another as the roll increases insize, in the absence of a lateral confining means, sometimes to theextent that the roll collapses, particularly with liners of relativelynarrow widths, such as A, and /2 inch..

To prevent this, the guide plates 40 are provided; and to permitchanging the position of the plates to accommodate different widths ofliner and tape, the liner roll drum 30 is specially constructed, twoillustrative forms being described below and shown in FIGURES and 6.

The liner roll drum is primarily characterized by a plurality ofspaced-apart circumferential grooves 41 into which the plates 40 areinserted.

A preferred form is illustrated by the drum 30 shown in FIGURE 5. Thedrum 30 is made up of a plurality of discs 42 of equal diameter mountedfor free rotation and free axial movement on the axle 31. As previouslydescribed, the left end of the axle 31 is fixed in the liner take-up arm25, and a head 32 is fixed on the right end of the axle. The distancebetween the arm 25 and the axle head 32 is equal to the combinedthickness of the discs 42 and the two guide plates 40, plus a slightamount for clearance to permit free rotation of the discs. The spacesbetween the discs provide the drum with the circumferential grooves 41.When the two plates are insorted into two respective grooves, i.e., intotwo respective spaces 41 between the discs, as shown, the discs are heldclose together and their combined peripheries form the periphery of thedrum 3% on which the liner is wound.

Inasmuch as the widths of most commercially available liner-wound tapesare multiples of A; inch, the discs each preferably have a width orthickness of Va inch.

The plates 44 are held in place by a slot 45 in each plate into whichthe axle 31 fits.

The liner roll take-up drum 30' of FIGURE 6, an alternative form, is acylinder cut with deep spaced-apart grooves 41 to accommodate the plates40 and mounted, like the discs 42 of the drum 30, on the axle 31. Forsuch a drum, the slots 45 in the plates 40 must be large enough toaccommodate the diameter of the drum at the bottom of the grooves 41',which is slightly greater than the diameter of the axle 31.

Each plate 40 is preferably elongate, and of the configuration shown inFIGURE 3, with an upper end 40a extending at least as far as the radialextent of a full liner roll 38, and a lower end approximatingbifurcation with a downwardly extending lobe 40b to provide lateralconfinement for the tape supply roll 12 and a rearwardly extending tail400 to rest on the upper end of the anchoring arm 20 and to provide agrasping means when inserting or removing the plate. The slot 45 extendsinwardly from the under edge of the plate for a distance and thence atan angle to form an L-shaped slot, the base of the L being approximatelycoincident with the plates axis and pointing toward the upper end 40a ofthe plate.

A relatively narrow liner removal attachment on a relatively widedispenser permits a roll of linerless tape and a roll of liner-woundtape both to be placed in the one dispenser side by side and madesimultaneously available, and an operator may use as much or as littleof each as is desired.

The liner removal attachment is suitable for tape dispensing assembliesother than those commonly known as tape dispensers.

The assembly of liner take-up drum and guide plates is suit-able forliner take-up mechanisms other than the liner removal attachment.

There are numerous alternatives and equivalents. All embodiments withinthe scope of the invention described and/or claimed herein, arecontemplated.

I claim:

1. A liner removal device suitable for attachment to a previouslyconstructed conventional tape dispensing assembly; the said assemblycomprising a base having a tape roll cavity and a means for rotatablymounting a supply roll of liner-wound tape; the said liner removaldevice comprising an anchoring element, a liner take-up arm mounted onthe anchoring element for oscillation of a free end of the take-up armabout an axis, a liner take-up drum mounted on the free end of thetake-up arm for free rotation about an axis that is parallel with thesaid axis of oscillation, and spring means for impelling the free end ofthe take-up arm toward the supply roll mounting means to bring thetake-up drum to bear on the tape supply roll when the anchoring elementis mounted on the tape dispensing assembly in a position such that thetake-up drum axis and the axis of the tape supply roll are parallel andthe take-up drum is aligned with the tape supply roll; the saidanchoring element comprising an anchoring arm which is verticallydisposed when mounted on the dispenser, a tongue on the upper end of theanchoring arm for insertion into the cavity, and a lip at the lower endof the anchoring arm for engagement with the under surface of the base,the liner take-up arm being pivoted on the upper end of the anchoringarm.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein the liner take-up drumcomprises a cylinder having a plurality of spaced-apart circumferentialgrooves, a liner roll guide plate held in one of the grooves, and asecond liner roll guide plate held in another groove, the plates beingparallel with each other and extending outwardly from the cylinder forlateral confinement of a liner being wound on the take-up drum from thesupply roll of linerwound tape.

3. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein the liner take-up drumcomprises an axle, a plurality of discs of equal diameter mounted forfree rotation and free axial movement on the axle, and means forlimiting the axial movement of the discs, a liner roll guide platebetween two of the discs, and a second liner roll guide plate betweentwo of the discs, the plates being parallel with each other and havingat least one disc between them, the plates extending radially outwardlyfrom the discs for lateral confinement of a liner being wound on thetake-up drum from the supply roll of liner-wound tape.

4. An attachment according to claim "1 wherein the liner take-up drurncomprises a cylinder having a plurality of spaced-apart circumferentialgrooves, a liner roll guide plate held in .one of the grooves, and asecond liner roll guide plate held in another groove, the plates beingparallel with each other and extending outwardly from the cylinder forlateral confinement of a liner being wound on the take-up drum from thesupply roll of liner-wound tape; and wherein each liner roll guide plateis elongate,

one portion extending upwardly above the liner take-up drum, theopposite portion extending downwardly below the take-up drum, the saiddownwardly extending portion having a downwardly extending lobe toprovide lateral confinement for the tape supply roll and a rearwardlyextending tail to bear on the upper end of the anchoring arm.

5. An attachment according to claim 4 wherein each liner roll guideplate has a slot which extends inwardly from an edge of the plate andthen at an angle to form an L-shaped slot, the base of the L beingapproximately coincident with the plates axis.

6. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein the liner take-up drumcomprises an axle, a plurality of discs of equal diameter mounted forfree rotation and free axial movement on the axle, and means forlimiting the axial movement of the discs, a liner roll guide platebetween two of the discs, and a second liner roll guide plate betweentwo of the discs, the plates being parallel with each other and havingat least one disc between them, the plates extending radially outwardlyfrom the discs for lateral confinement of a liner being wound on thetake-up drum from the supply roll of liner-wound tape; and wherein eachliner roll guide plate is elongate, one portion extending upwardly abovethe liner take-up drum, the opposite portion extending downwardly belowthe take-up drum, the said downwardly extending portion having adownwardly extending lobe to provide lateral confinement for the tapesupply roll and a rearwardly extending tail to bear on the upper end ofthe anchoring arm.

7. An attachment according to claim 6 wherein each liner roll guideplate has a slot which extends inwardly from an edge of the plate andthen at an angle to form an L-shaped slot, the base of the L beingapproximately coincident with the plates axis.

8. A liner removal attachment for a tape dispenser that comprises a basehaving a tape roll cavity and a means for rotatably mounting a supplyroll of linerwound tape, the said attachment comprising an anchoring armwhich is vertically disposed when mounted on the dispenser, a tongue onthe upper end of the anchoring arm for insertion into the cavity, a lipon the lower end of the anchoring arm for engagement with the undersurface of the base, a liner take-up arm pivotally mounted on the upperend pf the anchoring arm for oscillation of a free end of the take-uparm about an axis, a liner takeup drum mounted on the free end of thetake-up arm for free rotation about an axis that is parallel with thesaid axis of oscillation; the take-up drum comprising an axle, aplurality of discs of equal diameter mounted for free roation and freeaxial movement on the axle, and means for limiting the axial movement ofthe discs; an elongate liner roll guide plate between two of the discs,a second elongate liner roll guide plate between two of the discs, theplates being parallel with each other and having at least one discbetween them, one portion of each plate extending upwardly above thetake-up drum, the opposite portion extending downwardly below thetake-up drum, the said downwardly extending portion having a downwardlyextending lobe to provide lateral confinement for the tape supply rolland a rearwardly extending tail to bear on the upper end of theanchoring arm, and each plate having a slot which extends inwardly froman edge of the plate and then at an angle to form an L- shaped slot, thebase of the L being approximately coincident with the plates axis, andspring means for impelling the free end of the take-up arm toward thesupply roll mounting means to bring the take-up drum to bear on the tapesupply roll when the anchoring arm is mounted on the dispenser in aposition such that the takeup drum axis and the axis of the tape supplyroll are parallel and the take-up drum is aligned with the tape sup plyroll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,604,794 Sutton Oct. 26, 1926 2,111,054 Paul Mar. 15, 1938 2,297,525Anheuser Sept. 29, 1942 2,594,800 Ranney Apr. 29, 1952 2,660,381 Friedlet al Nov. 24, 1953 2,686,013 Christian Aug. 10, 1954 2,708,076 Polsteret a1 May 10. 1955

